By Mark Blentlinger
After losing their first game since the 2019 season to the Benton Harbor Tigers 49-68, the Eagles regrouped and began a winning streak, starting with a win on Senior Night against the Constantine Falcons.
Six Schoolcraft seniors played their final game in the Eagles gym: Jonathon Abel, Carson Flynn, Dru Matheny, Skyler Thompson, Bryce VanderWiere and Harmon DeVries. The Eagles pressured the visiting Falcons, keeping them unbalanced. The Eagles ended the first period with a 11-point advantage: 25-14.
When the Eagles and Falcons hit the court, the crowd always expects a physical game. This battle of the boards was such a contest. With the smallest player on the court for the Eagles Jonathon Abel at 5’10” and the tallest at 6’7” – Bryce VanderWeire – it was hard for the Falcons to get many rebounds. At halftime, the Falcons trailed the Eagles 50-30. At the end of the third period, the Eagles led 69-41. They topped the Falcons 81-65 at game’s end.
The game between the Gobles Tigers and the Eagles was canceled on March 16, giving the team a little time to rest before they traveled to Lapeer on March 19. There they faced the Lightning and came home with another Eagles win, 58-46.
In the District semifinal, the Eagles faced the Raiders from Decatur, and the Schoolcraft team came out on top 77-31, punching their ticket for the district championship contest March 27 at Bridgman High School against the Niles Brandywine Bobcats. The Eagles defeated the Bobcats, winning 56-33.
The Lawton Blue Devils were the next team to fall in the March 30 regional semifinal. The Blue Devils hoped to stop the Eagles’ roll, but Schoolcraft ended Lawton’s season 48-33. The next team in the Eagles’ sights was the Kalamazoo Christian Comets. Schoolcraft faced the Comets in Bronson, and the final score again affirmed the Eagles post-season dominance: 52-37, securing a regional championship trophy.
The Eagles advance to state quarterfinals at Loy Norrix High School. They’ll face Grand Rapids Covenant Christian there on April 6.
